Level Rising: Finality
by Copper Thrice
Summary: Sequel and conclusion of the Level Trilogy that began in the Yu-Gi-Oh GX world. Jake Parion has lost everything now. He has been launched 500 years into the future. Now he must find a way to survive in the post-apocalyptic world of Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's.


* * *

LEVEL RISING: FINALITY

By Copper Thrice

Chapter 1: Waking Up

* * *

Falling

Cold

That's all that filled Jake Parion's mind as he drifted through darkness.

Endless Falling

Numbing Cold

Occasionally, a brief image (a memory perhaps?) would pass through Jakes endless venture.

At one moment he was playing a card game with a man who was some kind of teacher.

_What was the game called? _He thought. _Duel Monsters?_

The next moment he lost that match and was led out of the building and a girl met him, wearing a yellow blazer.

_What's her name? _Jake wondered. _Ellie… That's right. I couldn't forget her…_

Brief warmth filled him, but he felt cold again other memories flitted in front of his closed eyes.

Ellie with silver eyes and a cold malice about her…

She forgot Jake…

Seemed to hate him…

Evil men with a giant demon at their command…

The Saar-Kell…

The Society of Light…

Ellie surrounded by an evil glow…

_NO… _Jake thought. _I defeated Ellie… I freed her… but…_

Running from the Saar-Kell…

Using the Duel Crystal to summon actual monsters…

Fighting the Dark Oracle…

Losing the fight…

Darkness

Endless Darkness and Numbing Cold

Jake began to struggle, but it felt like he was tossing about underwater.

_I have to escape! _He thought. _I have to help the others! I have to…_

Suddenly, his eyes burst open and he found himself once again in darkness.

But this wasn't the crushing, cold, unknown darkness that he fell into when he lost a duel to the Dark Oracle. No, this was just the absence of sunlight. Somehow, he had left the Shadow Realm and ended up here, but where was here?

"Wha… Wha-where am I?" Jake muttered. He slowly sat up and found that he was covered in some sort of smelly blanket.

"Oh, hey!" yelled a voice from the darkness. "You're finally up!" His loud, almost childish voice hurt Jake's ears, but it sounded familiar to him too. "Oh, right. Ya can't see me. Let's fix that."

Jake heard the sound of metal scraping against stone. A square chunk of granite fell from the ceiling and twilight filled the room.

Although, the light was dim, it flooded a portion of the dark chamber and Jake's eyes stung. He closed them and slowly reopened to view the owner of the familiar voice.

Standing under the light was a glowing, child-sized boy dressed in brown robes and dull purple armor and a pointed helmet. At his sides were twin sword sheaths and in his hands were short, katana-like swords. On his boyish face was a grin.

Jake's eyes widened. He remembered this person, or the duel spirit actually; a spirit that inhabited a card in Jake's deck.

"Mystic Swordsman?" Jake asked. "But, how? When did?" Jake leaned forward and heard a clinking sound as something that was on top of the blanket hit the cold, metal floor.

Jake turned to see a green crystal, the duel crystal, lying on the ground next to him.

"Hey, if anything's to thank for getting you out of that darkness, it's that gem there," The Swordsman sheathed his swords back onto his belt. "If you hadn't carried that thing into the rift, your spirit would've been gobbled up pretty quickly. Problem is…" The Swordsman sighed, "It's gonna take a while to recharge. No monster summoning for a while I'm afraid." Jake put the crystal in his pocket.

"Then how are you-"Jake began.

"Talking to ya?" the Mystic Swordsman finished for him. He then held out his arms. "I'm in spirit form. You can tell 'cause in this form I'm all glowy and stuff." He dropped his arms to his sides. "However, I can interact with objects or people, as long as I have the energy. But only you can see or hear me."

"So, uh, Mystic Swordsman--?" Jake began again.

"Just call me Mystic, alright?" Mystic said matter-of-factly. "It's quicker."

Jake frowned, "Sure, just let me finish my sentences."

"Sure, sure," Mystic chuckled. "Go on."

"Okay…" Jake stood up. He was still wearing the grey coat, black shirt, and jeans that he fought the Dark Oracle in. His deck was fit conformably in a deck pouch on his hip and he ran his hand over it for reassurance. "So, where are we?"

Mystic twitched and grimaced.

"What?" Jake asked.

"Uh…" Mystic began, "You might wanna sit back down. I gotta crazy story to tell ya." Jake nodded and sat on the tattered blanket.

"You see, it was a good idea to take the Duel Crystal with you and out of the Oracle's clutches… At least for a little while." Mystic sighed. "The truth is… All you did was delay his plans. It took a couple of years, but—"

"Wait!" Jake interrupted, "A couple of years! How long was I gone?!" He was scared and his eyes showed his fright.

"I'll… I'll get to that, just listen," Mystic sat down and let Jake took in a few deep breaths. "I got this information when I tapped into the spirit world. I wasn't there for the actual event. I was with you, in the darkness, except conscious and protected by the crystal.

"You see, the Dark Oracle did eventually revive the Cursed One, but they didn't expect much resistance…"

And so, Mystic began to tell Jake the story about what happened to Earth during Jake's "vacation".

* * *

The Cursed One and his army of creatures rose from a temple hidden on the bottom of the Pacific. With the Dark Oracle at his side, the monstrous beast headed towards Duel Academy to devour the Duel Spirits and Duelists that resided there.

An alliance of military support, the Ishtars, Duel Academy's top Duelists, Kaiba-Corp, and other groups banded together to stop the monster, but many were slaughtered in the first wave.

Finally, the Cursed One's army was pushed back, but then he turned around and destroyed most of western America, China, South America, and parts of Russia and Africa. All of the remaining world's focus was now on the Cursed One's ever growing army and power.

Out of nowhere, through this devastation, Jaden Yuki appeared with a Duel Crystal in hand. He merged with Neos and he and his summoned monsters fought the Cursed One. In the end, the Cursed One was destroyed, but Jaden died soon after. His wounds were too terrible.

The Dark Times, as it was called later, left most of the world underwater, destroyed, or deserted.

The remaining humans now live in sparse colonies, except for the last great island city, Neo Domino City and its Satellite island-town.

That was over five-hundred years ago.

Jake had somehow landed in the future.

* * *

Jake's mouth gaped open. He rested his head in his hands and sobbed. Letting the information sink in. He looked into Mystic's eyes, but saw none of the deception he wanted to see. He sobbed again.

"I should've been there!" Jake yelled in frustration. "I'm the Level Warrior." He stood up and yelled at the ceiling. "I SHOULD'VE BEEN THERE!"

"Jake…" Mystic began as tears stung Jake's eyes, "That's not all…" Jake looked down at him. "I don't know how to tell you this, man, but…" Mystic lowered his head. "Yur not the Level Warrior anymore…"

"What?" Jake asked, shocked. "But you're here. Why—"

"Jake… I stayed with you of my own free will." Mystic said sadly, "You remember what we Level monsters said to you during the GX tournament. If you got yurself in a bit situation… We'd find another Warrior."

Jake slumped to the floor.

"The others left, Jake" Mystic took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I really, really am. There was nothing you could have done…"

Jake sat motionless for a while. He had to take in all that had happened.

An hour passed.

A second one passed.

Finally, Jake stood up and took a deep breath.

"There's only one thing to do now." Jake said with conviction. Mystic raised an eyebrow and floated next to him. Jake wandered until he found a door in the dark room. Looking about, this place looked like an abandoned subway. "We've got to find out where we are and what we're going to do now…" He opened the door and stepped into the twilight.


End file.
